Crackdown on Thefts in Santa Barbara?
By an edhat reader
It seems like thefts have increased significantly compared to previous holiday seasons. In my neighborhood I know of at least a dozen neighbors who have either had their vehicle stolen, tools from their garage, or packages and other items from their porches.
Is the Sheriff's Office and SB Police doing anything to prevent this or even address the issue? It seems bad this year.
15 Comments
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Dec 29, 2022 11:52 AMWhat can they do aside from reminding to lock up your things especially during the holiday season? If there is an increase it may be correlated to an increase in drug addiction. They are increasing arrests of lower level drug dealers.
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Dec 29, 2022 12:04 PMThere are about five different posts on NextDoor from all the Mrs. Kravitz's in the town, whining and complaining about this topic. They're ranting about some news conspiracy where this isn't being reported, but MOST of the time it's people being dumb and not locking their cars or garages.
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Dec 29, 2022 12:07 PMI read the NextDoor posts with tinfoil hatters claiming that all local news companies has an "agreement" with the city to not post damning stories about crime because it can hurt tourism. HAHAHAHAHAHA
Absolutely ridiculous. The PD and Sheriff are constantly saying they're understaffed so resources are more focused on the stabbings and shootings, not who took your unlocked Honda Civic with the keys inside
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Dec 29, 2022 01:53 PMYep, it’s pretty basic - crooks loom for the weak link (the easiest prey) - lock your car doors, lock your house/garage, and don’t leave packages or mail sitting out. Don’t expect the cops to be patrolling your street daily.
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Dec 29, 2022 02:13 PMWe bought a Lorex Smart Home Security Center from Amazon (on sale was around $200...but now listed at $329). We purchased after having a couple of packages taken from our front porch...one box remained on the porch but was cut on the bottom and contents removed...a bluetooth speaker). More than adequate for our needs, but certainly not the b-e-s-t system in the world. It can be set up as an Android/iOS web app and/or standalone system: motion detection events record to the base station and to the micro-SD cards in each camera, no monthly fees, wireless outdoor night-vision cameras powered via USB power cable, up to six additional cams (Lorex Model W461ASC-E) can be added to the two cams that come with the basic system. Already caught one creeper creeping in our yard...gave the vid to the cops.
Do NOT expect LE to do everything for your security....these days you MUST have a part in your own safety/security.
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Dec 29, 2022 05:03 PMHey, somebody has to provide the money for vagrant booze, drugs and ciggies. Mean old charities only give them clothes, food and an occasional shower.
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Dec 30, 2022 05:11 AMI highly recommend saving your money on a camera system and instead investing in a baseball bat. A swift bat to a crooks head can quickly psychologically adjust their need to be kleptomaniacs and reduce crime in your immediate area. The mail comes faster in this town than the police do, nowadays they don’t even take a crime report for theft, they direct you to a website to do their job for them. Save everyone’s time, smack a hoodrat with a bat, get your package back!
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Dec 30, 2022 10:18 AM^^^^. Do this if you want to: a) defend yourself when the DA pursues an assault charge against you; and b) end up paying the thief huge sums of $$$$ when he/she sues you for personal injury. Ask yourself if the $20 iPhone charger from Amazon they were trying to steal worth physically assaulting someone with a baseball bat and risking these guaranteed outcomes?
Here's how it works in California. You can't physically assault someone to defend property. You can if you beleive you have to do it to prevent the death or grievous injury of yourself or another person. Even then, you have to prove, in court, that you have a reasonable assumption your life, or another persons life was at risk. If you attack a person who is outside of your residence, the presumption is that your life was not at risk.
Get a security camera. It's a deterrent...not a guaranteed way to protect packages. But thieves are predators that look for the easiest prey and a camera makes things just a little bit more risky for them. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Have a happy and safe New Year!
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Dec 30, 2022 10:24 AMOh yeah.... I left out the additional possibility that you might end up in the hospital....or the morgue...when the person you attempt to attack defends himself/herself. And when they harm/kill you, the DA may determine they were acting in self-defense.
Be glad you live in Santa Barbara....a sleepy little town where package theft is the type of crime you lose sleep over. If you want to know what real crime looks like, call someone in Baltimore.
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Dec 30, 2022 10:42 AMgreat, can we have your address? Since you don't mind being robbed or don't think it's a big deal.
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Dec 30, 2022 08:01 AMI had to remove myself from Next Door. It seemed to be taken over by the Karens and the right wing loonies in our area. They say 'no politics' but that certainly is not enforced. I liked it for lost pets/found pets, need things, but the other stuff just got waylaid by the cranks. Sometimes even 'lost pets' got hijacked!!!!! Who owns Next Door?
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Dec 30, 2022 08:31 AMThey are spending big money putting up cameras at every lighted intersection and then pretending they are not using the data.
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Dec 30, 2022 11:58 AMThey are "understaffed" because we can't/don't want to afford to add 1/3 more patrol officers and the 1/9 more support staff, and 1/3 more vehicles, radios, guns, flashlights, pencils, notepads, tires.
SB City Police budget is $48,000,000 and has around 100 armed police from Captain to Rookie.
So to put 1 police officer on the street costs us $480,000 a year each.
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Dec 30, 2022 11:03 PMPolice departments are understaffed nationwide because not enough people are applying.
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Dec 30, 2022 04:52 PMNewsflash: hate to break it to y'all but Cops don't really care about your Amazon junk that got stolen off your porch. Take away the opportunity: get a hiding spot or delivery lockbox, a camera as a deterrent, and don't leave expensive things in plain sight. The kooks I hear complaining about this are the same ones who order tons of junk on Amazon instead of shopping local and leave it sitting in plain view on their porch almost every day. There's an Amazon lockbox in almost every 7/11 now so you can buy disposable junk and fund Bezos space adventures to your heart's content. Then they blame politicians for their stupidity?? Get a clue lol